Band 9 essay sample | Should governments provide weekly financial assistance to the jobless?

Essay topic

Some people believe that the government should help the unemployed ona weekly basis. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion.

Sample response

Unemployment is becoming a major problem all over the world. Even in some developed nations, the rate of unemployment is high. This is sometimes attributed to the financial recession that gripped the world during the first decade of this century. While the situation improved considerably over the last few years, a lot of people who had been laid off by their previous employers are still out of work. Some people feel that the government should give them weekly financial allowances. I don’t think that this is a viable solution.

To start with, if governments were to provide financial assistance to every unemployed person, they would have little money to run the country. Most nations already have several welfare schemes for the jobless and the governments certainly offer some financial assistance through these schemes. Of course, these nominal financial aids are unlikely to solve the financial woes of the jobless. I won’t blame the governments for these because there is a limit to the amount of money they can spend.

In most cases unemployment is the result of the lack of skills. People who possess skills that the industry demands will have no difficulty finding jobs. Yes, the recession wiped away many jobs. However, there are still several sectors that need skilled manpower. Instead of doling out financial assistance to jobless people, the government should run free training programs and camps where the jobless can pick up skills. This will provide a lasting solution to this problem.

The government should also create awareness about the dignity of labour. The unemployment rates in India are high. This is not really caused by the dearth of job. Rather it is a result of misplaced notions of dignity. The educated middle class Indians will only accept white collar jobs. If the jobless take up manual jobs, the nation will become much more prosperous.

To conclude, giving weekly financial assistance to the jobless will not increase the GDP of a nation. It is never a solution. Instead of giving people money, the government should provide free training that will increase their employability.